Stephen Cole needs some yo-yos. Actually, he would like to have at least 20 yo-yos and a lot of extra string.

Anyone who knows Stephen knows his fascination and his skill with a yo-yo. This skill with a toy has endeared him to a group of orphans in East Africa.

A senior at Missouri Southern State University, Stephen decided to spend most of his Christmas break doing missionary work in Africa. After looking at several options, he chose to travel to Tanzania, a nation in East Africa to work with orphan children.

After a 30-hour journey, he finally arrived in Arusha, a city of some 1.5 million people.
His host family and the orphanage were located on the outskirts of the city.

"The family I stayed with were wonderful people," Stephen recalled. "The man is the owner and the director of the orphanage. He lived close enough for us to walk down a dirt road to the orphanage every morning."

Because it was during the Christmas holiday season, school at the orphanage was not in session and only about 25 of the 35 children were there.

"Most of the children are true orphans," Stephen said, "but some of them have families.
These kids are at the orphanage because their families cannot take care of them or because they have been abused. If they will be safe, some children are allowed to spend the holiday at home."

Because there was no school, Stephen spent most of his time planning and carrying out activities with the children, most of whom speak at least some English.

"All their schooling is in English," Stephen said, "so unless they are just arriving at the school, they are able to speak some English."

Stephen had several activities, which the children enjoyed. They liked for him to read to them and they liked for him to take them down to the soccer (football) field for a game.
And, of course, they were fascinated when he showed them the yo-yos he had brought.

"Actually, they had a couple of old yo-yos, but they really didn't know what they were for," Stephen said. "When I would do even simple tricks with mine, they couldn't get their old ones to do the tricks. But they really wanted to learn. They were very fast learners."

Going to Africa during his Christmas holiday was not just a youthful lark for Stephen. It was something he had planned for some time.

Before he left, several people asked why he was spending all that money to go to Africa for just two weeks. Some people said he could do the children more good by just giving the money it cost him to go.

"I worried about that a lot before I left," Stephen said. "It was always in the back of my mind, but I really believed that if I went, I could make an emotional connection with the kids. I thought that if I went, I could give them something that money can't buy."

So, with that belief in his mind, Stephen took the long and arduous journey.

"I am so glad I went. They taught me so much," Stephen said. "Some of those 4-year-olds have already had more hardships in their lives than most of us will have in a lifetime. I know it's a cliche to say this, but it was truly a life-changing experience."

As a college senior, Stephen is carrying 21 hours of class work and working part-time in Carthage. Then, as soon as he graduates, he will move to California to take a job with e-Bay, the famous Internet auction company.

"I would love to go back to Africa," he said, "but I know I won't get to for a while. But I will be working and I can send money to help. I can always send money, but this was the only chance I had to actually go myself."

If Stephen keeps his job with e-Bay for six years, he will get a six-week "sabbatical." If that happens, then he will go back to Africa and spend that time doing volunteer work again. That's something he is already looking forward to.

That emotional connection with the children that Stephen hoped for came to pass. He quickly became attached to them, and they immediately fell in love with "Teacher Stefen." Most of the children will always remember that some young man from America came all the way to Africa to spend Christmas with them and to teach them how to yo-yo.

"I don't think I have given as many piggy back rides or pushes on a swing in my entire life as I did over there. The kids were a blast to be around," Stephen said. "That last day was pretty rough. I had a very hard time walking away down the road that last day."

Since he will not be able to go back any time soon, Stephen is writing to the kids and they are sending him letters, too. Now, Stephen wants to send at least 20 yo-yos to the kids.

"The kind they need cost about $12 each, so I am going to contact a yo-yo company and see if they will donate some, and then I will ship them. But even if they don't give me any, I will somehow see that the kids get yo-yos. I'll do it some way."

And those who know Stephen have no doubt that, someway, he will get yo-yos for his little orphan friends in Africa. After all, he has a real emotional connection with those kids and he will not let them down.